SPED

Don Galo Elementary School has always been true to its emblem - Every Child Matters, Always Wanted and Never Left Behind. That is why we accept all types of learners within the vicinity. And in cognizance to Department of Education's Program "Education For All" (EFA) wherein education must be accessible for all the school-aged children. Moreso, the children with special needs are given full attention by establishing Special Education Program (SPED) in all public schools in the entire country. Making it ready available to all.

Special Education (SPED) is the program for educating students that addresses their individual differences and special needs. It is designed specifically for students with learning disabilities and involves individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings.

Our school caters to various exceptionalities such as learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Cerebral palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and Intellectual Disability like Autism Spectrum Disorders

Children with these kinds of disabilities are likely to benefit from additional educational services such as different approaches to teaching like inclusion, mainstreaming and a self-contained setting, a specifically adapted teaching area, or a resource room.

The SPED Program in this school was established along with the pioneer SPED Center in the Division of Paranaque and has been operating for more than 20 years now. Children with Special Needs were provided with the appropriate interventions suited for their skills. They are being readied in order for them to finally be included in an regular classes and ultimately take care of their own selves.

Numerous pupils have been able to be independent and finish the Elementary Level. An average of 2 pupils graduate every year and promoted to the Secondary Level. This year, there are three brave children who successfully graduated in the Elementary Level.

Ultimately, it will always be a collaborative efforts of the teachers and parents putting in the child with special needs at the center and giving him/her what they need to be independent and functional individual.

PROGRAMS OFFERED:

These are the Programs that Don Galo Elementary School offers to help children with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and in their community which may not be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education.

Inclusion

In the Inclusion program, a learner who has received behavioral modification and has been recommended by the Special Education teacher together with the referral of a Developmental Physician, can be moved to the regular class and attend a regular class in a regular classroom. The pupil spends the entire class hours for the grade level he belongs. The General Education teacher is well trained in handling children with special needs.

Mainstreaming

Mainstreaming of special education children is similar to inclusion, but has no requirement for time spent in regular classrooms. Often, mainstreaming of special education students into regular classrooms is done either in a limited number of classes in which the student excels or as an opportunity to let the special education pupil socialize with the rest of the regular pupils.

Self-Contained

In self-contained, children with special needs who are not yet able to focus their attention and are still lack developmental and social skills spend the majority if not all of the day in a “self-contained” classroom. They must also be also undergoing with some therapies like occupational and speech. These special education programs are often effective for students with more severe disabilities.

IDENTIFICATION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Some children are easily identified by having a psychological evaluation/assessment from the developmental physician or medical history. For example, they may have been diagnosed with a genetic condition that is associated with intellectual disability, may have various forms of brain damage, may have a developmental disorder, may have visual or hearing disabilities, or other disabilities.

On the other hand, for children with less obvious disabilities, such as those who have learning difficulties, two primary methods have been used for identifying them: the discrepancy model and the response to intervention model.

The discrepancy model depends on the teacher noticing that the students' achievements are noticeably below what is expected. At which the teacher may make the decision for the student to receive support from a special education specialist. Before doing so, the teacher must show documentation of low academic achievement.
The response to intervention model advocates earlier intervention. It identifies children who are having difficulties in school in their first or second year after starting school. They then receive additional assistance such as participating in a reading remediation program. The response of the children to this intervention then determines whether they are designated as having a learning disability. Those few who still have trouble may then receive designation and further assistance.

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